felixlee789
New member
We travelled with baby for the first time in October, and unfortunately, AC damaged our car seat. We were aware of the risks beforehand, but we didn't have much choice but to check in a seat.
To share our experiences, the letter we had sent to AC Baggage Claims is shown below. Some of the photos are also attached.
So, for your child's safety, please think again before checking in a car seat.
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To whom it may concern:
I am writing in regards to a child car seat that was damaged while in the care of Air Canada. My booking reference number is [[removed for confidentiality]], and the pertinent flights are QK7716 (YXU/YYZ) and AC620 (YYZ/YHZ) on October 12, 2013. The car seat was checked in at YXU, where the Air Canada agent placed it in a plastic bag to “protect the seat,” and retrieved in the baggage claims area at YHZ.
First off, it is important to remember that a car seat is a carefully engineered safety device, and that a damaged car seat may offer less protection to a child. For that reason, Transport Canada mandates the replacement of car seats that have been in an accident, even if a child was not present in the seat at the time of the accident. It is well-accepted by car-seat safety technicians that a car seat that has been damaged by mishandling is fundamentally no different than one that has been in an accident.
Unfortunately, it is evident that our car seat was mishandled by Air Canada, as shown in Figures 1 – 5, which are appended to this letter. Note that these damages are only those severe enough to be visible; other invisible damages may also be present.
• Figures 1 and 2 are photos of the plastic bag in which the car seat was placed. From the pattern on the plastic bag, it is clear that the car seat had been dragged.
• Figures 3 and 4 are photos of a frayed LATCH connector strap. This strap is a critical part of the car seat because it is used to fasten the car seat to the vehicle. It must support the combined weight of the car seat and the child in the event of an accident. Because it is functionally analogous to a seat belt, it looks much like a seat belt and is manufactured from the same type of material.
• Figure 5 is a photo of the rear frame of the car seat. This part of the seat is also a critical part, as it must retain the proper shape and support the weight of a child during an accident. The red boxes indicate the areas that have been dented or flexed, as evidenced by a lightening of the dark-gray plastic. Plastics that have been flexed do not retain their original strength – this is similar to the concept of “metal fatigue” as it relates to airframe failure in aircraft – and therefore no longer offer the same degree of protection.
When the damages were reported to Air Canada Baggage Services at YHZ, an agent examined the car seat and agreed that it had been damaged. I was offered a replacement car seat, and as much as I appreciated the offer, I was unable to accept the replacement because it was unsuitable:
• It is known that different car seats do not fit equally well in different cars. We were aware, from experience, that the offered seat was not a good match for the intended vehicle.
• The offered seat had a lower height limit (based on the position of the harness slots) than our damaged seat, even though both seats had identical weight limits. It is well-recognized that children usually outgrow car seats by height as opposed to by weight. In other words, our child would have outgrown the offered seat much faster than our damaged seat.
The Baggage Services agent who had examined our seat appreciated our concerns and suggested that we purchase a new seat and submit a claim to Air Canada. Accordingly, enclosed are copies of the following:
• Passenger ticket
• Damage report from Air Canada
• Baggage tag for the damaged car seat
• A receipt in the amount of $179.97 + HST = $206.97, the amount for which we are seeking reimbursement, for the purchase of a car seat identical to the one that was damaged
Considering that the car seat was damaged in Air Canada’s care, that a car seat is a safety device, and that we did not accept the offered replacement because it was unsuitable for the reasons above, we do not believe that the request for reimbursement is unreasonable.
If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
To share our experiences, the letter we had sent to AC Baggage Claims is shown below. Some of the photos are also attached.
So, for your child's safety, please think again before checking in a car seat.
--
To whom it may concern:
I am writing in regards to a child car seat that was damaged while in the care of Air Canada. My booking reference number is [[removed for confidentiality]], and the pertinent flights are QK7716 (YXU/YYZ) and AC620 (YYZ/YHZ) on October 12, 2013. The car seat was checked in at YXU, where the Air Canada agent placed it in a plastic bag to “protect the seat,” and retrieved in the baggage claims area at YHZ.
First off, it is important to remember that a car seat is a carefully engineered safety device, and that a damaged car seat may offer less protection to a child. For that reason, Transport Canada mandates the replacement of car seats that have been in an accident, even if a child was not present in the seat at the time of the accident. It is well-accepted by car-seat safety technicians that a car seat that has been damaged by mishandling is fundamentally no different than one that has been in an accident.
Unfortunately, it is evident that our car seat was mishandled by Air Canada, as shown in Figures 1 – 5, which are appended to this letter. Note that these damages are only those severe enough to be visible; other invisible damages may also be present.
• Figures 1 and 2 are photos of the plastic bag in which the car seat was placed. From the pattern on the plastic bag, it is clear that the car seat had been dragged.
• Figures 3 and 4 are photos of a frayed LATCH connector strap. This strap is a critical part of the car seat because it is used to fasten the car seat to the vehicle. It must support the combined weight of the car seat and the child in the event of an accident. Because it is functionally analogous to a seat belt, it looks much like a seat belt and is manufactured from the same type of material.
• Figure 5 is a photo of the rear frame of the car seat. This part of the seat is also a critical part, as it must retain the proper shape and support the weight of a child during an accident. The red boxes indicate the areas that have been dented or flexed, as evidenced by a lightening of the dark-gray plastic. Plastics that have been flexed do not retain their original strength – this is similar to the concept of “metal fatigue” as it relates to airframe failure in aircraft – and therefore no longer offer the same degree of protection.
When the damages were reported to Air Canada Baggage Services at YHZ, an agent examined the car seat and agreed that it had been damaged. I was offered a replacement car seat, and as much as I appreciated the offer, I was unable to accept the replacement because it was unsuitable:
• It is known that different car seats do not fit equally well in different cars. We were aware, from experience, that the offered seat was not a good match for the intended vehicle.
• The offered seat had a lower height limit (based on the position of the harness slots) than our damaged seat, even though both seats had identical weight limits. It is well-recognized that children usually outgrow car seats by height as opposed to by weight. In other words, our child would have outgrown the offered seat much faster than our damaged seat.
The Baggage Services agent who had examined our seat appreciated our concerns and suggested that we purchase a new seat and submit a claim to Air Canada. Accordingly, enclosed are copies of the following:
• Passenger ticket
• Damage report from Air Canada
• Baggage tag for the damaged car seat
• A receipt in the amount of $179.97 + HST = $206.97, the amount for which we are seeking reimbursement, for the purchase of a car seat identical to the one that was damaged
Considering that the car seat was damaged in Air Canada’s care, that a car seat is a safety device, and that we did not accept the offered replacement because it was unsuitable for the reasons above, we do not believe that the request for reimbursement is unreasonable.
If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
